Reducing Our Carbon Footprint, One Bite at a Time

Last week on my near-daily commute home from work, between the same overplayed Top 10 pop songs, the two hosts took a moment to make a joke about a random and lighthearted news story. A ketchup packet shortage had swept the nation’s restaurants. They had their laughs and faded into the next sensationalized new release. As I parked in front of my apartment, I sat in the car and connected lots of dots.

A new normal throughout the past year of abnormalities is take-out food. Whether you need a break from cooking all your meals or want to support your favorite neighborhood restaurant, take-out is your best (and a lot of times only) option. Your business helps a restaurant stay open and you get that artisan burger you’ve been thinking about for days. Win-win right? While it’s a success for you and the restaurant, it’s a total flop for the environment.

There are many different elements to a to-go order rather than dine-in. Plastic utensils, napkins, disposable food containers, condiment packets, the bag, and any other sauces or sides that accompany the meal. An in-house dining experience eliminates all waste in these areas except maybe napkins, depending on the establishment. Potentially, by eating out you end up with the same, if not more waste than food.

We have all done take-out only to notice there was an ungodly number of napkins or unneeded plastic utensils and sauce packets in the bag. Imagine how many other people experience the same thing and how much waste that generates. If you think about it, when you order sushi you get the container of sushi, sauce cup of ginger, another of wasabi, packets of soy sauce, and chopsticks. While the chopsticks are wood, nine times out of ten the rest is plastic. In other words, your eight pieces of sushi are accompanied by eight pieces of plastic give or take. That’s a lot of plastic! We all experience this, and that means we can all play a part in resolving it.

We know the problem, but what can we do to remedy it? The biggest thing we can do is quite simple, ask for “food only”. Let the person taking your order know you don’t need napkins, sauces, and the like. It sounds easy but sometimes you can ask for nothing with your meal and you’ll still find it in the bag. I’ve spent a good chunk of my time working in a restaurant and I know firsthand how fast-paced and loud the kitchen is. As the person taking the order, you want to write it down as quickly as possible and move onto the next thing, so a little request tacked onto the back of the order of “no fork please” is likely to slip your mind. As the customer, knowing this can help you. Say something to grab the employees attention like “No plastic straw please, I’m doing my part to save the turtles” or “Hold off on the sauces, I have a new bottle of ketchup at home” Saying something like this is just out of the ordinary enough to stick with the employee.

“What if I’m not going home to eat?” Easy, carry reusable and portable cutlery. I carry in my purse metal straws and a set of metal utensils. I believe everyone should have these items kicking around their backpack, purse, or car. Another great idea is carrying around wipes. They go a long way compared to a napkin. One wipe can clean off your face, then hands, then cutlery if you don’t have running water nearby. As for condiments, it’s not as easy as having silverware on hand. I’m not about to say you need a mini-fridge in the back of your car for condiments. If you’re on the go and need mustard to enjoy your hot dog you shouldn’t feel guilty about taking a packet. It becomes a problem when we are given more than we need or something we don’t need. Even when you get unwanted extras be sure to put them to use. I use a pocket in my purse to keep extra condiment packets for when I need them.

The rise in demand for take-out during the pandemic has brought to light how much waste is produced with each meal we consume. We have improved by starting to replace plastic with more compostable options in our to-go routine, but we still have a long road ahead. Now get out there and live your best environmentally aware life. Conservation isn’t always convenient, but it’s worth it.